


It's All Greek, Er, Latin To Me

by lapc09



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catullus Poetry, Classics, M/M, Modern Era, One Shot, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 08:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17763335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lapc09/pseuds/lapc09
Summary: When David said he wanted Jack to read the classics, this isn't quite what he had in mind.





	It's All Greek, Er, Latin To Me

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago. I seriously have no idea what this is.

The front door of the house opened and in walked two male figures. Well, the older of the two tried to walk in, but was almost knocked over by the younger one darting past him down the hall, calling out for their mother as he ran. The older male closed the door behind him and sighed, following the path his brother had just taken. As he approached the kitchen, he could hear his mother.

“Les stop that yelling,” she admonished. “And don’t run in the house. You know better.”

“Sorry,” Les replied sincerely as he hopped onto a chair at the table, quickly continuing with more enthusiasm. “But there was a magician who could do tricks, make stuff disappear and everything! But David said that –.”

Upon the mention of his brother’s name, Les was quickly cut off, his mother noticing her older son’s presence in the kitchen doorway. “Ah, David, before I forget, Jack’s in your room waiting for you.”

David merely nodded his head, grabbing an apple off the counter before walking out of the kitchen, down the hall, and up the stairs towards his bedroom. Upon reaching the door, he could hear the sound of laughter coming from inside. Curious, he quietly opened the door so as not to alert Jack to his presence. If he had been asked what he expected to see inside, the sight before his eyes would not have even made the top ten. 

On the other side of the door, on David’s bed no less, lay Jack, which in itself was not so unusual. What was unusual was the open book in his hand, which he was clearly reading. Taking a second glance, David thought the small black paperback looked familiar, probably one of his that Jack had taken, but couldn’t place it.

Laughing again, Jack glanced up and noticed David for the first time, hands lowering the book as he did so. “Hey, I see you’re finally home. How was, what’s his name? Collin? Caleb?”

“You mean Caden?” David asked, a grin on his face. 

Jack rolled his eyes. Like the kid mattered. “Yeah, him. How was his party?”

David laughed, walking into the room and sitting on the nearby desk chair. “Overdone and incredibly clichéd, but Les loved it, so I guess that’s all that matters.” Then remembering the scene he had walked in on, he nodded towards the book in Jack’s hand. “But what’s this? Jack Kelly reading a book?”

“Hey, I can read!” Jack said, sounding affronted. Just because he didn’t read didn’t mean he couldn’t read.

“I never said you couldn’t,” David defended. “I’m simply shocked you are because you rarely do. What are you reading, anyway?” He was curious which book had Jack laughing.

His gaze returning to the open page, Jack found the passage he had been reading and began to read aloud. “‘You ask, “Which one is yours?” The one parading around like a stage tart grinning like a French poodle. Surround the little bitch insist she give it back: “My pocketbook unwholesome whore unwholesome whore my pocket book.” She –‘”

It was at this point Jack noticed David choking on the apple he had just bitten into, which was obviously a mistake. 

“Jesus, Dave!” Jack exclaimed, carelessly dropping the book on the bed as he jumped over to slap him on the back, dislodging the offending bite of apple. “Don’t inhale it!”

After taking some deep breathes, David stared at the abandoned paperback. “Do you have any idea what you were reading?” he asked, looking from the book to Jack, eyes wide.

Jack picked the item up off the bed and looked at the cover, reading the title aloud. “‘The Poems’ by Catullus, whoever the hell that is.” 

“He,” David started, voice still a little raspy from choking, “was a Roman poet during the Republic who wrote those poems for a variety of reasons, including –“

“Please, spare me the history lesson,” Jack said, cutting him off with a groan, throwing the book back onto the bed, the action causing some of the pages to fold inward which in turn earned a wince from David. 

“That still doesn’t explain what possessed you to read it in the first place.” By now he had gotten up and walked over to the bed, reached over and picked up the classic, hands trying to smooth out the pages and lessen the damage.

A grin appeared on Jack’s face in response as he watched his friend. “Well that’s easy. You did,” he said, as though it were the simplest thing on earth. 

“I did?” David asked skeptically, raising his eyebrow, the book in his hands now forgotten. “Please explain to me how on earth I’m responsible for you reading Catullus.”

“You once said I should read the classics, so here I was waiting for you, nothing to do, and I thought, ‘Eh, what the hell.’ So really it’s your fault.”

David just stared at Jack. “You actually listened to me? You never listen to me.”

Jack shook his head and slowly took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. “I always listen to you Dave.” The sly gleam in his eyes did not go unnoticed by David who raised an eyebrow skeptically and scoffed.

“No you don’t.” He then raised his hand and started ticking incidents off on his fingers. “Remember when we were five and I told you climbing that oak tree in the backyard was a bad idea? You fell and broke your arm. Or how about when we were in third grade and Oscar stole your bandana? I told you to get Ms. Larkson but you decided punching him was better. Principal Snyder called your stepfather in and you were grounded for a month. And then there was the time in junior high when you copied Mush’s math homework, only because I wouldn’t let you copy mine, and I said you should do your own so you’d actually learn something. You failed the first two tests and would have failed the class if I hadn’t tutored you every day. Then just last week -.”

Having heard enough, Jack rolled his eyes as he reached out and placed a hand over David’s mouth, effectively shutting him up and earning a glare. “Geeze, Dave. I get it. But just because I don’t follow your advice don’t mean I don’t listen to ya. I hear everything you say.”

“And stupidly choose the worst course of action,” came the knowing reply, David having removed Jack’s hand so he could speak.

“What can I say?” Jack asked with a shrug and a smirk. “I like to take risks, like right now.”

David furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Jack merely stepped closer in answer, the sly gleam in his eyes growing.

Suddenly finding himself feeling flustered, David began moving backwards, Jack inching closer with each step. It wasn’t long before he found himself trapped, back hitting the wall as he ran out of room, Jack standing before him, still creeping closer and into his personal space. He found his mouth was dry, feeling like it was full of cotton, but he still managed to get some words out. “Jack? You’re kind of scaring me here. If you’re planning to hit me -.”

“Hit you?” Jack asked, briefly confused before breaking into laughter and startling David in the process. “You know, for someone so smart, you sure are dumb.”

“I really don’t –,” was all he managed, whatever else he had been about to say completely cut off as Jack quickly leaned his head in and covered his mouth with his own. He didn’t even have a chance to respond before it was all over and he was left staring at his best friend, eyes wide and mind reeling.

Jack, meanwhile, was looking down at his shoes, finding the laces quite interesting in ways he never had before. He didn’t regret his decision but he was afraid of the rejection he was sure he would see on the other’s face.

“You… You kissed me,” David finally said in awe after opening and closing his mouth a few times in an attempt to get the words out.

Frustrated, Jack’s eyes snapped up and locked onto David’s, surprised by what he saw. There was a range of emotions, from shock to what he could almost mistake as longing, something he chalked up as wishful thinking, but no sign of the disgust he had expected. “Way to state the obvious, Dave.”

“But you…”

“Yes, I kissed you,” Jack said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes.

Finally regaining use of his brain, David asked, “But why?”

Jack’s eyes went back to the floor before hesitatingly glancing up. “Because I like you, Dave,” he admitted softly.

David wasn’t an idiot. Although he could have feigned ignorance, he knew exactly what was meant by the word ‘like’. Strangely enough, he found he wasn’t as bothered by that as he should have been. If anything…

Leaning forward, David pressed his lips to Jack, somewhat timidly before his brain shut off and he allowed himself to just feel, pressing deeper as his hands reached up and grabbed hold of Jack’s shirt. He then barely registered hearing a groan as Jack responded with equal fervor, eventually realizing the sound had come from his own throat. Not that he cared, however, seeing as he was quite preoccupied with other matters.

When the need to breathe became too much, the two pulled apart, panting as they took in mouthfuls of air. 

“I guess that means you like me too?” Jack asked wryly, a smile forming.

David couldn’t help but chuckle, a smile on his own face. “I think that’s more than a little obvious.”

“Good.”

“Yeah.”

Jack had always been a big proponent of the idea that actions speak louder than words. Even David, never without something to say, believed there were times where words simply weren’t necessary.

As their lips met again, they realized this was one of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think. Comments are much appreciated.


End file.
